We Shall Overcome-Gospel song-Dean Reed

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Reed
Dean Cyril Reed (September 22, 1938 June 13, 1986) was an American actor, singer and songwriter who lived a great part of his adult life in South America and then in the German Democratic Republic. Dean Reed was born in Denver, Colorado, and moved with his family many times, living in various cities in California and Utah, and later returning to Colorado. After a couple of years at the University of Colorado, Reed moved to California after realizing he had some talent as a musician, and recorded "Once Again" for Imperial Records as a one-off single to see if reaction to it would justify a full contract. No contract was offered by Imperial, but Reed subsequently signed a long-term recording contract with Capitol Records in 1958.
In 1973, Reed chose to settle permanently in East Germany, where he continued to write, direct, and perform in films. Over the years he played in 20 films, produced 13 records, and gave concerts in 32 countries.

While committed to the politics of his adopted socialist home, he did not join the ruling Socialist Unity Party (SED) and preferred to define himself as a Marxist rather than a communist. Despite his opposition to many US policies, he professed his love of America until the end of his life, and his songs often reflected his fondness for his homeland. He never renounced his US citizenship and continued to file tax returns for the IRS.

However, in a 1986 television interview on CBS's 60 Minutes, he defended the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the building of the Berlin Wall (saying it was for "self defense"), and compared Ronald Reagan to Stalin, which angered many in the U.S., including family and friends. Following the interview, Reed received hate mail from the U.S. accusing him of being a traitor.Six weeks after his appearance on 60 Minutes Reed was found dead in Zeuthener Lake near his home in East Berlin. Though it was officially ruled an accidental drowning, his friends in Germany suspected that his death was a suicide and his family in the U.S. claimed that he had been murdered.

For a recent biography, Rock 'n' Roll Radical: The Life & Mysterious Death of Dean Reed, author Chuck Laszewski gained access to Reed's Stasi file, which contained a suicide note and an apparent apology written on the back of a movie script to the East German leader, SED General Secretary Erich Honecker. This was covered up by the GDR authorities, who feared that the discovery of his suicide would disparage their state.

The University of Colorado sponsors the Dean Reed Peace Prize, an annual essay contest held in Reed's memory.

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